Upon receiving these discs in the post for review, I asked myself the question if we really need another set of Bach's 'Brandenburg's' but hearing these infectious performances by I Barrocchisti' proved to be quite a revelation on all counts. Although they lack the superb finesse of the top period ensembles such as The English Concert or the Academy of Ancient Music, they are still more or less in the top drawer of Bach interpretation.

Arts have provided a splendid SACD recording and through my new equipment, I was able to sample the gorgeous five channel sound emanating from the speakers, a real thrill in, for example, the 2nd Brandenburg with its trumpet solo and divided violins towards the end of the first movement. The same could also be said in the 4th concerto where the violin arrangement provides the listener with a truly sumptuous experience on all counts.

The expansive 5th Concerto also provides some intriguing interpretative quirks by Fasolis who is really a very characterful interpreter, and again the SACD sound really recreates a superb experience. It is almost as if you have Bach playing the spinet in your living room. I'm not so sure about the translations in the notes but on sonic and interpretative grounds, this set receives a very warm thumbs up from me.